My Life as the Witch Princess
by Peach the Hedgehog
Summary: The Witch Princess needs a break! But where can she go that she won't be recognized? After some consideration she comes up with a plan! How will it affect an innocent brunette?
1. A New Witch Princess

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harvest Moon series, and my co-author doesn't either.

**AN: I wasn't too happy with the direction the story of the original My Life as the Witch Princess was turning out, so I decided to start over with my friend Awesome Rapidash as my co-author.**

**This chapter is similar to the original's first chapter, which is why it says Harvest Moon DS Cute isn't out yet. Some things were added and changed as well.**

Chapter 1: A New Witch Princess

A look of happiness filled Christy's eyes as she stared at the computer screen. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She winced, but when she found that she didn't wake up, she continued to grin. According to the website she was on, Natsume had plans to release Harvest Moon DS Cute in America!

For the past year, the brunette did her best not to be disappointed. She had heard about this game when it was called Sprite Station for Girls. And during that year, she didn't think it would come out in America. Many people were saying that the Best Friend system would prevent it from getting a US release. She thought about importing it, but she couldn't read Japanese. At the time though, it wouldn't matter, because she was getting desperate.

For the time being though, she didn't have to worry about it. If she waited long enough, she would have the game in English! Even if there were some glitches and typos, she didn't care. As long as she could play the game, she would be a very happy girl!

Christy looked one more time at the release date for the game. As it had just been announced, it wasn't very accurate. "The first quarter of 2008?" The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I've waited this long for it."

The girl pushed herself away from the computer, glancing out the window. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brightly overhead. Birds flew toward their nests, and squirrels scampered across the grass; all and all, it was a very peaceful day.

Christy was in her Harvest Moon mood, as she liked to call it. She had the urge to play a Harvest Moon game, it didn't matter which one; whether it was Harvest Moon 64, or Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. The smile returned on her face as she walked toward her room. She popped her copy of Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town in the GBA slot on her DS, and turned it on. She moved to her bed and sat down on the comfy mattress.

Actually, she would have liked to play Harvest Moon DS Cute. But she still had to wait a little while. And she would wait for as long as it takes.

* * *

"Bah! I can't stand it anymore!"

The Witch Princess stormed into her hut, her face set in a scowl. She had just had another run in with the Harvest Goddess and her annoying Harvest Sprites. All she wanted was to have a little fun! But no, that goody two shoes Goddess always ruined it!

She was sick and tired of the Harvest Goddess interfering with her. What was wrong with ruining the crops and making the animals sick? It was perfectly harmless fun! Well it was for the Witch Princess anyway. The Harvest Goddess thought differently of course. She would always change things and put them back to the way they were.

The Harvest Goddess was so annoying! Always with those flashy entrances, and the way she said "Tada!" or her "Dum-da-da-daaa!" when she suddenly appeared. Her laugh was just as irritating and it got on her nerves very quickly.

The Witch Princess was so angry! She wanted to put as much distance between her and the Harvest Goddess as she could. She wanted to go far, far away; to a place where nobody, not even the Harvest Goddess, could find her.

A smile crossed the blonde haired girl's face as that thought filled her mind. That was a pretty good idea actually! She could take a vacation, and cause her mischief somewhere else!

But, where would she go? Mineral Town was close to Forget Me Not Valley, so the Harvest Goddess could find her there. No matter which town, village, or city she went to in the world, the Harvest Goddess could find her if she really wanted to.

But, the blonde haired witch never said her vacation had to be on this world. There had to be other worlds out there! And there had to be some magic to allow her to go to these places, and that annoying green haired Goddess couldn't follow her!

The Witch Princess walked to the bookshelf at the far end of the house. She was sure there was a spell in one of these books that would take her to another world, a place where the Harvest Goddess could never reach her.

* * *

Christy held the power button on her DS, turning it off. She grinned a little and shook her head. That didn't go as she planned. She had been trying to woo Gray, by giving him bronze ore that she found in the mine. Bronze ore was the easiest to get which was why she used it more often as a gift for the young blacksmith. Every now and then, she gave the different colored herbs to Doctor, to help his medical research. She was surprised to see Doctor's heart color at blue by the time of the Spring Thanksgiving festival, on her second year.

The young girl shook her head. While that wasn't in her plans, it wasn't that big of a deal. Gray's heart color was red, anyway. She just needed to buy everything off of the shopping channel, and then she could finally propose to him!

Of course, Christy wasn't just playing the game to woo a guy; she was working hard on the farm, growing different kinds of crops, taking care of the animals, feeding, brushing, and talking to them. She was even making friends with the other townspeople, including the other village girls. This included Mary, who was her favorite girl in Mineral Town. She didn't know what it was, but she seemed to like the girls with the glasses the most. She didn't know about Flora yet, as she hadn't played Harvest Moon DS at all.

"Now what am I going to do?" the brunette asked herself, as she put a finger to her cheek in thought. She slid off of her bed, and crossed her arms. She looked toward the floor, trying to think what she should do now. But fate decided to step in, and make the choice for her.

A flash of bright light caused the girl to look up, surprise filling her chocolate brown eyes. "What... What's going on?!" Christy put her hands in front of her face to shield her eyes as a strange energy filled her body, making her very nervous and scared. What was happening to her?

A couple of minutes later, the bright light faded away, and the strange energy vanished. Slowly, Christy lowered her hands and her eyes widened in alarm when she saw a girl with long blonde hair, and eyes the color of crimson standing directly in front of her. She was wearing a purple dress and a black shawl that has a skull attached to it.

"What the, who in the world are you?" the blonde haired girl questioned in surprise. The brunette was so stunned that she didn't answer the question right away. Before she couldn't believe her eyes when she was staring at the computer screen, but this was different. The witch lowered the book she was reading and crossed her arms in disgust. "Well, that didn't work," the girl muttered.

"The… the… W… Witch Princess?" Christy gasped, finally finding her voice.

"Yeah, that's right," the elder woman answered with a roll of her eyes. "Geez, you look like you've never seen a witch before."

The brunette shook her head and she was tempted to pinch herself again, but if it didn't work before why would it work now? This could not be happening, could it? How could the Witch Princess be in front of her? There was no way that the world of Harvest Moon could even be real! But, come to think of it, her DS wasn't on, so she couldn't get sucked into the game, like she had read in other stories before. And even if that was the case, the Witch Princess wasn't in Mineral Town.

"I was supposed to go to another world," the Witch Princess grumbled. "But, my spell backfired and brought this girl here."

The brunette still couldn't believe it was happening, but it was real. She looked around her, seeing she was in the Witch Princess' hut. There was a bookshelf on the far wall, and a cauldron in the middle of the floor. A broomstick and a mirror were leaning against the wall behind the Witch Princess, and the hut was also full of teddy bears. In one way it was rather cute, but now was not the time to be think about that.

The Witch Princess looked very irritated that Christy was there. She was supposed to go to another world, but she messed up and this girl came instead. However, the longer she looked at the mortal girl, the more a plan came to her mind. She could use this to her advantage. After all, it would take a lot of magical power to go to another world, but for this new plan to work, she doesn't need that much power.

The other girl looked nervously at the Witch Princess. She didn't like the way she was staring at her with those crimson red eyes. "Excuse me?"

"What?" the Witch Princess demanded, a look of annoyance on her face.

Christy tried to look calm, though she was inwardly nervous. "You want to go to another world, right? Well, I..."

The Witch Princess stared at the other girl in the room. This girl was going to tell her she was from another world? "How can you be from another world, when you know who I am?"

Christy was sure the Witch Princess wouldn't believe her if she told the truth. That she was in a video game called Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon DS Cute. Maybe she could lie a little. "I… uh… I read a story about you… that's it, yeah!"

"Are you going to stick to that story?"

"Yes… for now…" the brunette said slowly.

The Witch Princess grinned a little, seeing what the girl was up to. "You want me to send you home, don't you?"

Christy nodded. "Yes. And, I'll let you come with me, too."

The Witch Princess laughed. "You didn't really have a choice in the matter," she told the girl.

Christy's eyes narrowed when she heard what the Witch Princess said. She didn't have a choice? What did she mean by that?

The Witch Princess suddenly cleared her throat and began chanting some magic words loudly and then she clapped her hands. Christy was startled when she felt a shock go through her body. Something was wrong; she was feeling pain throughout her body! What did the Witch Princess do?! The Witch Princess was in the exact some condition the brown haired girl was in, however, despite the pain, she smiled to herself. Both girls fell unconscious not long later.

* * *

Christy groaned softly, pushing herself into a sitting position. She put her hands over her closed eyes and rubbed them, trying to remember what happened. As she did, she recalled exactly what happened. She was afraid what she would see happened as a result of the Witch Princess' spell. She moved her hands and opened her eyes and they widened in alarm with what she saw.

A girl was knocked out in front of her. She was wearing a pair of gray pants, and a t-shirt with purple and white stripes. The girl also had short brown hair, but she couldn't see her eyes because they were still closed. However, she didn't need to see her eyes to know that the girl on the floor in front of her looked familiar. The girl looked a lot like Christy!

Christy jumped to her feet, turned, and ran toward the mirror, looking at her reflection. A look of horror filled her eyes, and the red eyes in the mirror reflected the same fear she felt. The reflection in the mirror was not her own. She looked like another girl, a girl with long blonde hair and crimson eyes. She was wearing the same purple dress and shawl as the Witch Princess had been wearing only a few minutes earlier.


	2. Rough Beginnings

Disclaimer: My co-author and I do not own anything in the Harvest Moon series.

Chapter 2: Rough Beginnings

Christy couldn't tear her eyes away from the reflection she was seeing in the mirror. What was this all about?! Well, if she wasn't dreaming before, she had to be dreaming now! She lifted her left hand, which was trembling, and she pinched her right hand. She gasped in pain, shaking her hand back and forth.

This was so unbelievable! The pain in her hand began to fade away, but she noticed that she didn't wake up. She was still standing there, looking in the mirror. "B… but there is just no way…" she murmured. "Is this even possible?"

"There is a way," a familiar voice said behind the surprised witch. "And yes, it is very possible!"

The blonde haired girl turned to face the other girl, seeing that she was awake and smiling at her. "Huh? So you know what happened then?"

"Of course," the former witch said with a big grin. "I was the one who did it, after all!"

A look of alarm filled Christy's face when she heard the other girl's reply. "What, you did this on purpose? Why?"

"It's simple really. I want to take a vacation. But as the Witch Princess, I'm much too noticeable."

"What?! You're going to take a vacation?! Using my body?!" Christy gasped. "I did not agree to this!"

"Aw, come on. Don't be such a spoil sport," the former witch told the other girl, with her smile firmly in place. "Besides, spoil sports are so boring! And you have been given a great honor! You get to be me, the Witch Princess Yura, while I'm gone! Such an honor shouldn't be taken lightly!"

Nervousness could clearly be seen in Christy's eyes as she tugged on the black shawl she was wearing. "Well… um… I don't know about this…"

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. She was taken away from home, met the Witch Princess, and now her body was going to be used by the real Witch Princess while she was on vacation! And she was stuck in the valley and who knows how people would think of her!

"If I asked you, would you have agreed to this willingly?" the brown haired girl suddenly asked, giving the girl a knowing stare.

"Well… uh… I suppose not," Christy murmured slowly. "But you still could have asked me."

Yura waved her hand to dismiss what the new witch was saying. "Asking for permission is such a waste of time! Since you're here now, I suggest you get used to it!"

Though it was clear that Christy was still nervous, she didn't bother trying to argue further. It didn't look like Yura's mind could be changed. "Fine… it seems I don't have a choice. How long is this vacation of yours going to take?"

The brown eyed girl shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't really thought about it. A week or two, perhaps a year? I'm still not sure just yet!"

"A year?!" the blonde haired girl repeated in alarm. "I wouldn't call that a vacation!"

"What would you call it then?" Yura demanded as she narrowed her brown eyes at the girl.

"I'd call it… uh… an extended vacation I guess," Christy said slowly. That wasn't what she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to say it. That would have to do for now. "A year just seems a little too long for me. But I don't have a choice here, do I?"

"Nope," the brown haired girl said with a smile. "What's done is done! Now, like I said, I'd get used to being a Witch Princess. I'm leaving now… unless you need something from me first."

At first, Christy didn't know what to say. She was about to shake her head as she put her fingers through her hair. The strands of sandy blonde hair went down to her back, which was a lot longer than what she was used to. Now that she had time to think about it, it was starting to annoy her.

The crimson eyed girl started messing with it, trying to keep her hair out of her eyes. However, there were a few bothersome strands that refused to be moved out of the way. "Well… maybe there is one thing."

"Looks like it," Yura murmured, looking at the girl messing with her hair. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah., do you think you can help me? I want my hair in pigtails."

Now it was Yura's turn to be stunned and surprised. "Why would you want to do that? You have such pretty hair, after all!"

Christy nodded and managed a small smile. "True. But look at your hair." She pointed to the girl's dark brown hair. "See how your hair is short? How it is off of your neck and back? That's the way I like it." She started messing with her hair even more. "I know you won't let me cut your hair, so pigtails are the only solution I have to this. I would do it myself… but I can't do it properly."

Yura sighed quietly, doing her best not to lose her patience. "If this will get me out of here, of course I'll help you!"

The brown haired girl moved over toward the other side of the house and picked up two black scrunchies. She walked toward the other girl and began to part her blonde hair into two pigtails. She stepped back and grinned when she saw the girl in her new hairstyle. It was actually pretty cute, though she wouldn't admit it.

"There you are all set! I'm out of here!" Yura waved goodbye, then she chanted some words and clapped her hands. Christy was very shocked to see Yura disappear right in front of her eyes.

"I guess some of her magic transferred to her or something," she murmured quietly. "I wonder… if I have any magic." She sighed and slowly shook her head, and her new blonde pigtails swayed back and forth as she did.

Now that she was alone, her emotions were becoming clear to her. She hadn't been away for too long and yet she already felt a great deal of homesickness. She wanted to hear the sound of her mother's voice, and she wanted to smell the food she would cook for dinner, even if it was something she didn't like very much. She was already beginning to miss her siblings, to whom she bickered with sometimes, but that's what siblings do after all. She also wished to see the friends that she was forced to leave behind.

"Maybe… I should go for a walk," Christy said with a sigh. It was the only thing she could think of to do, but she didn't know if it would do her any good.

The blonde haired girl headed outside and felt the breeze touching her skin and moving her pigtails. The sun was hiding behind the clouds, but it was still a rather warm day. It was summer time, so if the sun was out, it would be even warmer than it already was. The birds flew overhead and some squirrels ran by. Normally this would cause the girl to smile. However, that wasn't the case today. She just wasn't in the mood anymore.

She turned her gaze over to the mansion that was nearby the hut. She knew that the Witch Princess' home was close to the mansion, but she didn't think it was next door. The girl thought that it was halfway down the stairs.

Christy sighed again and carefully walked down the stairs. She was walking slowly, taking her time. She didn't see any reason to go any faster than that. Tears filled her crimson eyes and her body trembled. She sniffled and started to cry, unable to stop her tears from flowing down her cheeks.

What she didn't know was that someone noticed her. The girl noticed that the witch's head was lowered. It was clear that something was wrong and she wanted to find out what it was.

"Excuse me. Is there something wrong? You're crying!"

Christy looked up in surprise to hear someone talking to her with a concerned tone. But her tears blocked her vision, so she couldn't see clearly. She wiped them away and found herself even more shocked then she was previously. She had brown hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a simple, green farm dress. She recognized her as Celia, one of the girls you could choose to marry from Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and Harvest Moon DS.

"Hey, you're the Witch Princess, aren't you?" Celia asked, looking carefully at the sad girl. "I've heard Vesta talking about you!"

The witch didn't know how to respond, so she didn't. She wanted to tell Celia the truth, but at the same time, she knew she wouldn't be believed. No one would ever know the truth. She felt like a huge weight had been placed around her body, and it made her feel terrible.

"You know, I don't think like many others in this valley," the brown haired girl said with a reassuring smile, thinking she knew what the problem was. "It doesn't bother me that you are witch!"

Christy sniffled and wiped her eyes again. "R… really?" she asked, her voice choked and surprised.

"Sure!" the other girl answered with a nod of her head.

Christy managed to sigh in relief. "Thanks. I was a little worried… that I wouldn't know someone who felt that way while I am here. But… that's the least of my problems."

"Oh?" A curious look crossed Celia's face. "What is troubling you so badly?"

"Well, uh… I don't know if you will believe me. To be honest, I don't expect you to."

"What is it?" Celia asked even more curiously than she did the first time.

Christy sighed again and let the truth spill out. How she was summoned away from home and how the Witch Princess switched bodies with her to have a vacation. Celia had to agree that she wouldn't believe her. It was quite the stretch, actually.

"I see you don't believe me," the blonde haired witch said quietly. "I understand. I'm just mostly homesick."

Celia nodded in understanding. "Well, I can't take you back to my home, but maybe a friend of mine can help you. His name is Jack and he owns the Rose Farm here in Forget Me Not Valley. Like Vesta, he has mentioned you to me too."

* * *

Christy thanked Celia and continued on the path toward the farm. Celia was kind enough to show her the way to the farm, but she was curious. Jack had said that he knew the witch, and yet she didn't know the way. That was quite odd, but she didn't bother to question it, and Christy was thankful for that.

When she saw the farm, she could see that it was in very good shape. There were a few weeds, but not much, and there were a lot of tomatoes, corn and other summer crops growing. Because of the sunny day, the animals were out and about, munching on the grass which was used to feed them.

Christy gasped a little when she heard a barking noise. She looked toward the sound of the bark and found a cute dog running in her direction. Since she was on its territory, she thought it was going to attack her or something, but he seemed really friendly. He wagged his tail and put his front paws on her as though he wanted to be petted a little.

The red eyed girl managed a small smile as she knelt down to do just that. However, it didn't take long for her to see a pair of black shoes appear in front of her. She looked up to see a brown haired young man smiling at her.

"Hello. This is very unusual, for you to stop by like this. Do you need something?"

"Yes. I was told you may be able to help me," Christy said softly as she got to her feet. "Jack right?"

The farmer gazed at the girl curiously. "Yeah, that's me. You know me, so I'm surprised you have to ask."

"Yeah well… what I'm about to say is unbelievable, so here goes." Christy looked hopefully at the young man. "I was summoned away from my own home and the real Witch Princess decided to take a vacation using my body."

A wide grin crossed Jack's face and he started to laugh. "You're right! That is unbelievable! It's a good joke though!"

Christy felt like she had been hit hard in her stomach. Celia said that this young man would help her, so this wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. She lowered her head and tears started to fill her eyes again.

When Jack saw the girl's expression, he stopped laughing and looked concerned. "Hey! I didn't mean to make you cry!"

The blonde haired girl shook her head quickly. "I… it's not your fault," she said softly, not wanting him to feel bad. "I'm homesick and scared…"

"I see," Jack said slowly looking at the sad witch. "Here, why don't you go inside and freshen up a bit. I still have to collect the eggs my chickens laid. I'll join you when I'm done so you can explain your situation in detail."

Christy nodded in agreement and thanked the young farmer. She headed inside the house and wiped her eyes so she could take a look around. The house was very nice looking on the inside too. He had a kitchen to the right of the front door and he had a single bed for himself. There was also a nice couch and that was where she decided to sit down.

About half an hour later, Jack came into the house closing the door behind him. "You look a little better. Not completely but close. Would you like anything to drink?"

"I would like some soda if you have some."

Jack nodded and headed over to the fridge and took out a red can that read cola on it. He headed over to the witch and handed it over and he sat down beside her. "Well, would you mind introducing yourself? I mean, you know my name, but I don't know yours."

Christy nodded as she opened the can, hearing the familiar sound of the soda fizzing. "Sorry about that. My name is Christy."

"Okay, Christy," the farmer repeated. "Now then. Why don't you tell me what happened from the beginning."

The witch took in a deep breath to try and calm her nerves and also took a sip of soda. "Well, I was at home and I had just finished playing a video game." She didn't want to tell him which video game, because there was no way he would believe her, no matter how much she could explain it. "I was trying to figure out what do next and there was a flash of light. The next thing I knew I was standing in front of the Witch Princess, and she was rather annoyed that I was here. Then she looked at me in a way I didn't like and then… after thinking she was going to send me home… she switches bodies with me instead, in order to have a vacation. She says in her body… she would be too noticeable."

"I see," Jack said slowly. "So you mean you are not that real Witch Princess, even though you look just like her?"

"Yeah, but from the way you laughed at me earlier, I don't think you believe me."

"Well, you have to admit, it does sound very unbelievable," Jack told the girl. "And the witch is known for pulling jokes and gags on the people here in the valley!"

"I know it's unbelievable, Jack," Christy agreed slowly. She took another sip of her cola and lowered her head. "I confess, if this happened to anyone else, I wouldn't believe it either. But it didn't happen to anyone else. It happened to me."

"I see. Well, pardon me if I say I don't believe you," the farmer said carefully. "At least not right now, I don't."

The crimson eyed witch put the soda can on the table nearby and sighed. "No, it's alight. I am a fool…"

"Hey now, don't talk like that!" Jack exclaimed. "I just need some sort of proof to show me that you are not joking!"

"Proof you say?" Christy demanded as she rose to her feet. "What sort of proof could I give? That's why I'm a fool. I've come seeking help, but of course, I can't expect anyone to believe what I say! Proof is something I just don't have!"

"Don't get on my case about it!"

"I'm not! I'm getting on mine, okay?!" Tears filled her eyes and they started to fall down her face. She was being so foolish. How in the world could anyone believe her story? She had no proof to back up her words! Her heart ached in pain and she felt all alone. All she wanted was to go home! "Just forget it! It seems I was wrong to come here after all!"

Jack watched in surprise as the girl ran toward the door and opened it. In her haste, she didn't even close the door. Could she be telling the truth? But the story was unreal! And he didn't want to be part of Yura's jokes!

Wait a minute. The Witch Princess' name was Yura! "Wait, didn't she say her name was Crystal or something? That's it!" He rushed out of the door, heading toward the hut. He had to see her and let her know that he was beginning to understand.


	3. Misunderstandings and Friendship

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harvest Moon series. And neither does my co-author Awesome Rapidash.

Chapter 3: Misunderstandings and Friendship

Christy sadly sat in the hut, clutching a cute teddy bear close to her body. She didn't know what she was thinking earlier. Like anyone could ever believe that she wasn't the Witch Princess. She could understand why Celia and Jack didn't believe her, but that didn't help the pain she felt in her heart.

The blonde haired girl had spent her time alone for a little while now. She didn't see any reason to walk around town. In fact, she was even beginning to think it would be better if she just stayed inside the hut from now on, even though she would be very lonely.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Unable to believe that anyone would come to visit the Witch Princess, Christy ignored it. But when she heard the sound again, she knew she wasn't just imagining things. Slowly she placed the stuffed bear back on the floor and rose to her feet. Carefully, she moved toward the door and opened it up.

She was a bit surprised to see Jack on the other side. The owner of the Rose Farm seemed to be smiling a little, yet the red eyed girl couldn't help looking away from him, because she couldn't look into his brown eyes.

"Oh, hello Jack, what do you want?" Christy asked quietly.

"What was your name? You said your name was… Crystal, right?" the farmer asked.

The young man's question caused the girl to look at him a little confused. "You're close. My name is Christy. Why?"

"Because, the Witch Princess' name is Yura, not Christy," Jack explained warmly. "So unless you are lying about your name, and I don't think you are, it proves that you are not her!"

"I see," Christy said with a smile of her own. "I'm happy to hear that, Jack. I'm glad you understand. But… I'm a little worried about how the others will think of me. You know, whether they believe me or not."

The farmer put his hand to his chin and rubbed it carefully. "Well, I do know that there are people here that detest the witch. In fact, some will hate you just because you are one, no matter what! But, I wouldn't let that get to you. There are people here who don't mind."

The girl nodded and carefully fiddled with the skull that kept her shawl closed. "Yeah, I know. You and Celia are at least that way. But still I… I don't know what to do!"

"I don't think there is much you can do," Jack remarked. "Well, besides to move on and get used to a life here in the valley."

"The Witch Princess said the same thing to me," Christy replied softly. "But, that's a lot easier said than done."

"Look, you have two choices here." Jack was trying to sound reassuring, but it was difficult. "You can be down on yourself and be miserable, or you can try to make the best of things."

"Jack, I know," Christy said as she sighed quietly. "But tell me something. If you were in my shoes, and you were suddenly taken away from your life and forced into someone else's body for a vacation, how would you feel?"

"Well, I would probably feel used and unhappy," the young farmer admitted. "But since there would be nothing I could do to change that, I would have to accept it. I'm not going to sit around and cry all day if that's what you mean!"

"Yeah well… while that sounds simple in theory, I can't accept it just like that." Christy attempted to snap her fingers, but since she never could snap her fingers anyway, no audible sound could be heard. "Look, I understand that I can't change things. But like you said, I feel used and unhappy. You have to give me time to adjust a little. You can't expect me to be cheery about this overnight!"

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes as he shook his head. It seemed that she either misunderstood him, or was jumping to conclusions. "Did I say I expected it right away? No I didn't! All I'm saying is that you have a choice to make and only you can make it. It doesn't matter what other people have to say on this subject!"

Christy went silent at that point. She didn't know what else to say. She admitted to herself that the farmer had a point, but he made it sound like she had to make this choice right now. And she didn't know if she could handle this now! _"He doesn't seem to understand… just how hurt I feel." _The girl wanted to tell him how she felt, but for some reason, she couldn't find the best way to say it.

Jack waited for the girl to make a reply. He knew that nothing would change if the girl just sat here and cried, but it didn't seem like she understood that! Then he watched in dismay, and anger, as the girl turned her back on him, without a single word.

At this point, he knew it was best to leave her alone, so he closed the door, turned around and headed back to his farm. But this didn't mean he still wasn't mad at her. He was just trying to help her! And what thanks did he get? She turned her back on him!

As he continued to head back to his home, he remembered his own sadness when he left his old home. And while it did take some time, he did move on. So, in that way, he understood how Christy was feeling. Maybe he could have been a little more supportive, reassuring and even understanding. Still, that didn't change the fact that he was angry at her for turning her back on him. He didn't deserve that!

When he finally got inside his home, his eyes strayed to the table next to the couch. The soda can was still there and when he picked it up, he could tell that there was still half left. He couldn't help wondering about the girl, but he had no intention of going back to the hut.

* * *

What Jack didn't know, however, was that ever since he left, Christy felt even more awful than she did before. And it was not because she missed her home, family and friends. Her heart ached with pain and regret as she realized how rude she was.

Clutching the nearest teddy bear tightly to her chest, the blonde haired girl cried even harder than she did before. She felt really terrible! She may not have liked the way Jack was talking to her about moving on, but that didn't mean she had to turn her back on him! That was very rude of her, and she knew it.

Christy wanted to go to the farm and apologize, but she couldn't seem to lift herself from off of the ground. She was afraid that the farmer wouldn't accept her apology. In fact, it wouldn't surprise her if he didn't. After all, she didn't show her gratitude well when he said that he knew she wasn't lying.

"Stop it," the girl coached herself, weakly reaching her feet. "C… crying won't change anything… you never know…" she quickly wiped away her tears with one hand to make it easier to see.

After sitting here and crying her eyes out for who knows how long, Christy made up her mind. She accepted the fact that at the moment that there was nothing she could do, and just to move on for now. But it would take time and it would hurt to go through it alone. So, she was going to go to the farm and apologize to Jack.

But, would he forgive her? Well, there was only one way to find out. Tucking the teddy bear under one arm, she headed over toward the front door and opened it, walking out into night air. Not even realizing that she was taking the stuffed toy with her, Christy walked over to the farm. If anyone was staring at her, she didn't notice. She had only one thing on her mind and that was to apologize to the farmer for her behavior.

The witch was a bit of a nervous wreck when she finally reached Jack's home. She could hear the sounds of animals, including a familiar dog barking inside the house. Trembling, Christy walked toward the front door and knocked on the wood.

"Who is it?" Jack's voice called on the other end.

"Jack?" Christy had to clear her throat to help clear her voice, because when she spoke, it sounded choked. "Jack, it's me, Christy. I came to apologize."

There was a slight pause and the door was opened. "Come in," he said simply, moving out of the way.

"Thanks," Christy said softly as she headed inside. "Listen, I shouldn't have turned my back on you. It was rude of me to do that."

"Yes it was," Jack agreed as he slowly nodded his head and closed the door.

"Jack… I wanted to say that I am sorry." Christy looked up and gazed into Jack's eyes hopefully. "I was so upset, I wasn't thinking straight. I know you were just trying to help. Can you forgive me?"

"Well, it took a lot of courage for you to come here." The young man smiled a little. "So, I accept your apology."

A relieved sigh escaped Christy's lips. "Thank you. I really should not have acted like that. It's just, I didn't know what to say, without coming off as mean or harsh."

"Then just say it from the heart," Jack suggested.

Christy sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay. Here goes. The truth is, while I greatly appreciate your advice, I've been in pain since I got here. You made it sound like that it should be easy to accept and move on. But that's not true. And you seemed to understand that, but you used that sarcastic tone with me… my heart throbs with homesickness and I… well…

"I see," Jack interrupted with a sigh of his own. "I'm sorry. I know I came off as insensitive, but that wasn't my intention."

"It's okay," the girl assured. "And I'm sorry if I came off as rude and unreasonable. I have accepted the fact that I have no choice. But… I will need some time."

The farmer smiled when he heard what the girl said. Now this was a little more like it! "Of course! Like I said, I don't expect you to be happy and cheery right away. And if I can help you get through this, I will do the best I can."

"Thank you," Christy said politely. It was then she noticed that Jack was looking at something under her arm and he was smiling a little more. She glanced down and discovered that she was still holding the cute teddy bear.

"Is that yours?" he inquired.

"No, it's… I think you said her name is Yura. It's hers," the girl sadly slowly, twirling one of her long pigtails. "I saw it, alongside other bears, around her hut."

"Really? Hm… I never imagined that someone like her would collect something so cute," Jack remarked as his smile widened. "You know, you look hungry. Have you eaten dinner?"

Before Christy could answer, she felt her stomach growl on her. With a sheepish smile, the girl placed her free hand over her empty tummy. "No, I haven't eaten in a while, come to think of it."

"Well then, would you like to stay? I'm willing to share my dinner," the young man offered.

"Really?" Christy asked in surprise. "You would do that?"

"Sure, why not?" Jack said with a grin. "After all, you may help me some day."

Christy smiled happily. "That is very kind of you. Thank you."

Jack was about to turn around when he thought of something. There was something he had forgotten to say. "Say, Christy. While it may not have looked like it before, I do know how you feel, being away from your home." He sighed a little. "You see, when I first came here, I left my family back at the city. For many nights I cried and wished that I had never agreed to come here.

"But as time went on, the pain became easier to handle. As I found friends and got used to my routine, I found it easier to get my mind off of how much I missed them."

"But, despite that, you still miss them, right?" Christy inquired as she went to sit on the couch, placing the teddy bear beside her. She was sick and tired of standing up.

"Of course I do. But, I've found ways to keep my mind from dwelling on it," Jack explained. Suddenly it was if a lightbulb went on in his head and he snapped his fingers, and unlike Christy, he succeeded. "I got it! You can come and work on my farm! I could use some help and the work may ease your mind!"

Christy's eyes widened at the thought. "Wha? M… me? Work on a farm?" she repeated. Sure, she played many Harvest Moon games where she played a character who was a farmer. But she never thought of actually working on a farm! "Um… I don't know. Can I have time to think about this?"

"Sure, take all the time you need! Just tell me when you've made up your mind, okay?" Jack smiled as he headed to the kitchen. "Let me get you a fresh soda."

"Thank you," Christy said politely. She watched as the farmer left the room. Not long after he left, she was in for a surprise.

She suddenly felt two bundles of fur forcing themselves on her lap. When the blonde haired girl looked down, she saw a black cat and the dog she saw earlier that day. She was surprised that both of them went up to her like that. Jack returned just in time to see the sight in front of him.

"Aw," he cooed, ignoring the cold feeling that the cola can gave him. "That's so cute!"

Christy giggled slightly and tried petting both the dog and the cat, ignoring the hissing sounds the cat made at the dog. It was clear the cat wanted Christy's full attention while the dog seemed too tired and sleepy. "Um… a little help here."

"Nah, I think I'll leave you like that for a while," Jack teased.

"Hey!" Christy cried, but smiled in return. She knew a teasing tone when she heard one.

The young farmer giggled at the girl, wishing he had his camera so he could take a picture of this. "Don't move," he told her as he set the cola can on the table and went to get a camera from another room.

Christy sighed a little and shook her head. Well, this was a start anyway. While she still missed her home dearly, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
